1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to an electrosurgical device, and more particularly to one or more finger-mountable annular members including an electrode for treating tissue and an optical fiber for the detection of the changing physical characteristics of the finger-mountable annular member.
2. Background of Related Art
Electrosurgical instruments are commonly used in open and minimally invasive surgical procedures. Because nerve and muscle stimulation cease at 100,000 cycles per second (100 kHz), electrosurgical procedures can be performed safely at radio frequencies (“RF”) above 100 kHz. At these frequencies, electrosurgical energy can pass through a patient with minimal neuromuscular stimulation.
Electrosurgery involves application of high RF electrical current to a surgical site to cut, ablate, or coagulate tissue. In monopolar electrosurgery, a source or active electrode delivers RF energy from the electrosurgical generator to the tissue and a return electrode carries the current back to the generator. The source electrode is typically part of the surgical instrument held by the surgeon and applied to the tissue to be treated. A patient return electrode is placed remotely from the active electrode to carry the current back to the generator.
In bipolar electrosurgery, one of the electrodes of the hand-held instrument functions as the active electrode and the other as the return electrode. The return electrode is placed in close proximity to the active electrode such that an electrical circuit is formed between the two electrodes, e.g., electrosurgical forceps, graspers, pencils, and the like. In this manner, the applied electrical current is limited to the body tissue positioned between the electrodes. When the electrodes are sufficiently separated from one another, the electrical circuit is open and thus incidental contact of body tissue with either of the separated electrodes inhibits current flow.
Bipolar electrosurgical instruments often include opposed electrodes disposed on opposing tissue engaging faces of a pair of cooperating members such as jaws, graspers, or plates. The electrodes are charged to opposite electrical potentials such that an electrosurgical current may be selectively transferred through tissue grasped between the electrodes. However, electrosurgical instruments often have a limited range of motion, e.g., due to mechanical design constraints. This limited range of motion may be disadvantageous to a surgeon working in an area that requires a complex series of movements. In such situations, it may be desirable to use electrosurgical instruments that facilitate a wide and variable range of motion to allow for complex surgical articulation. Thus, the mechanical nature of some electrosurgical instruments may limit the amount of tactile sensory feedback received by the surgeon during a procedure. In certain procedures, it may be useful to have the ability to determine how much pressure to apply to a coagulation, cutting, or sealing surface.